As someone whose co-op sequence has given me 3 winter co-op terms, this is my first winter school term in 4 years. And honestly? It kind of sucks. Walking all over campus to different classes in the cold is terrible. I’m a firm believer that winter is the worst term to be in school and the best term to be on co-op. However, I try to be a positive person, so I challenged myself to think of all the best things about being in school in the winter. If I can appreciate them, so can you:
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1. Reading Week.
When you’re on a winter co-op term, you still have to go to work, no matter how many of your friends are chilling at home or on vacation for a week. When you’re in school, you get to be one of those people who spends the week however you want instead of going to work.
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2. Wearing your coziest unprofessional clothes.
Winter is the season when it is most tempting to leave your house in leggings, sweat pants, and hoodies – all the things you usually can’t wear at work. Being in school means you can walk to class in whatever comfy clothes you want and no one will care.
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3. Spending Valentine’s Day in Waterloo.
Whether your significant other is off-stream from you, or all your friends have co-ops in different cities, being on co-op in the winter may mean spending Valentine’s Day away from the people you care about. On the other hand, when you’re in school in the winter, you’re bound to have at least a few of your Valentines in Waterloo at the same time.
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4. Spending St. Patrick’s Day in Waterloo.
St. Patrick’s Day in Waterloo has become somewhat legendary over the years. You may have heard of a little place called Ezra? Being in school means you get to be here near all the excitement when the big day arrives.
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5. Everything is open late.
If you’ve ever been in school in the spring term, you know that the reduced number of students on campus means that most food services locations on campus – and even some of the local businesses – have shortened hours due to reduced demand. It’s quite inconvenient when you’re studying in the evening and trying to get a snack that isn’t pre-packaged food from the International News Store. Fortunately, one of the perks of being here in the winter is that UW is at its regular capacity and you never have this problem.
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6. All the clubs on campus are running.
Another problem with the reduced student population in the spring term is that not all on-campus clubs run (including our Her Campus chapter). Winter school terms mean that you have maximal options of clubs to join.
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So as you’re trudging through the snow and freezing your face off on your way to class, wishing you were sitting in a cozy office instead, try to remember all the positives about being in school right now.
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